What Happens During a Women’s Annual Health Exam?

Dr. Hansen provides his female patients with annual wellness exams to ensure that their bodies are functioning at their highest level and monitoring their total health to prevent chronic disease. These exams allow Dr. Hansen to diagnose and treat many conditions and concerns long before they are typically observed.

During an annual women’s health exam, the doctor will perform the following:

A physical evaluation

A pap smear and/or pelvic exam

A breast exam

Medical and family history will be updated, as well as life and work regimens

Previous concerns and treatments will be discussed

Supplements and medications taken will be updated

An appraisal of necessary health screenings are performed

Blood testing including hormone level assessment

Why You Need an Annual Checkup?

Women lead demanding and hectic lives. It is important to take time to monitor and review your overall health and well-being. This is an opportunity to take a little time for yourself to seek advice for any health concerns you may have been ignoring or discounting.Regular exams and screenings can enable Dr. Hansen to truly know your health, so he will notice changes and be able to make early diagnoses that can prevent serious illness.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

PMS is estimated to affect between 30-40% of menstruating women. PMS occurs after ovulation in the second half of a woman’s cycle, known as the luteal phase. PMS most commonly occurs as a result of an excess of Estradiol and/or a deficiency of Progesterone during this phase. Dr. Hansen can test your hormone levels to measure these two hormones during this phase, approximately three weeks after the first day of your last menstrual period.

To a large extent, the ratio of Estradiol to Progesterone throughout your cycle determines your hormonal balance, or imbalance, that can be responsible for the moodiness, water retention, cramping, breast tenderness, acne, musculoskeletal pains, or other symptoms associated with PMS.

An imbalance of Estradiol and Progesterone contributes to impaired liver function, reduced production of brain neurochemicals that regulate mood, decreased action of vitamin B6 and increased sodium and water retention.

Menopause

If you are 40+ and suffering from moodiness, hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, depression, apathy, fatigue, or abdominal weight gain you’re not alone. You’re probably asking yourself, “Am I losing it, just getting old, or is it my hormones?” The good news is, it's most likely just your hormones.

In the U.S. approximately 2 million women go into Menopause every year. New research has shown that many women are now experiencing Menopause 2-10 years earlier than usual due to excessive environmental exposure to accumulating levels of chemicals found in Cosmetics, hair spray, and plastics (BPA and PETE), as well as Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) found in non-stick cooking surfaces and environmental exposure to lead. All of these Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs), as well as estrogens fed to dairy and beef cows, activate estrogen receptors and cause multiple hormone imbalances that lead to excessive proliferation of the uterine lining and breast tissue, which can cause cancer.

It is estimated that 75% of all women going through menopause in the U.S. suffer moderate to severe menopausal symptoms. You don’t have to suffer anymore. Dr. Hansen can prescribe bio-identical hormone therapy to relieve these symptoms and help you feel get back to feeling great again.